Blends of an olefin high polymer with an ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer



United States Patent 3,410,928 BLENDS OF AN OLEFIN HIGH POLYMER WITH AN ETHYLENE/ ACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMER Bernard 0. Baum, Plainfield, N.J., assignor to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York No Drawing. Filed June 19, 1962, Ser. No. 203,475 11 Claims. (Cl. 260897) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to polymeric compositions which exhibit improved adhesivity, printability, and stress crack resistance. More specifically, this invention relates to polyolefin blends comprising an ethylene or propylene homopolymer or an ethylene copolymer with an ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer. The ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer includes ethylene/ acrylic acid/vinyl acetate terpolymers and ethylene/ acrylic acid/acrylate terpolymers.

The invention relates to mixture of olefin high polymers and ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to intimate mixtures of olefin high polymers and ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymers which exhibit greatly improved adhesivity, printability, grease resistance, and stress crack resistance compared with olefin high polymers alone.

Olefin high polymers, especially olefin hydrocarbon homopolymers such as polyethylene, and to a lesser extent olefin hydrocarbon copolymers With other unsaturated monomers, are non-polar and adhere poorly to glass, wood, oxygen-barrier coatings, steel, aluminum, copper, and other substrates. Most of these olefin high polymers cannot be printed without pretreatment, and they have poor stress crack resistance.

It has now been discovered that surprising and marked improvement in adhesion, printability, grease resistance, and stress crack resistance can be obtained in olefin high polymers by the mixing therewith to substantial homogeneity, i.e., to the formation of an intimate admixture, of certain amounts of an ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer as hereinafter described.

The term olefin high polymer is used in the present specification and claims to denote normally solid homopolymers of monoolefinically unsaturated hydrocarbons having as many as 12 carbon atoms and normally solid copolymers thereof, such as, for example, these illustrative, but not restrictive, polymeric compounds: the normally solid polyethylenes of a density of from about 0.91 to about 0.97, as well as other olefin homopolymers such as polypropylene, polybutene-l, polypentene-l, and polyoctene-l, and olefin copolymers as for example, ethylene/ propylene copolymers, ethylene/butene-l copolymers, ethylene/pentene-l copolymers, ethylene/S-methylpentene-l copolymers, ethylene/hexene-l copolymers, ethylene/bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2ene copolymers, ethylene/octene-l copolymers, ethylene/decene-l copolymers, and the like; and copolymers of monoolefinically unsaturated hydrocarbons with one or more other olefinically unsaturated monomers which are copolymerizable therewith, such as compounds containing the ethylene linkage C=C for example, styrene, vinyl stearate, ethyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, monobutyl maleate, Z-ethyl hexyl acrylate, Nrnethyl-N-vinyl acetamide, acrylic acid, isopene, butadiene, bicycloheptene, bicyclopentadiene, and the like. Many other copolymerizable monomers which can also be used in addition to these illustrative compounds are well known to the art. Preferred olefin high polymers for use in this invention are those which contain at least percent by weight of a combined monoolefinically unsaturated hydrocarbon having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms inclusive, and even more preferably, from 2 to 4 carbon atoms inclusive, i.e., ethylene, propylene, and butene-l.

Olefin high polymers and their methods of preparation are well known in the art. Inasmuch as the method of preparation is not critical to the success of the invention herein described, olefin high polymers produced by any method can be employed.

The olefin high polymers contemplated for use in the invention have a molecular weight sufficiently high that they are to be considered high polymers and not low molecular weight greasy polymers or waxes, i.e., they have a molecular weight of at least about 10,000 or a melt index of about 1,000 or less, and preferably a melt index of about 100 or less. The preferred olefin high polymer in the invention, polyethylene, has a density of from about 0.91 to about 0.97 and a melt index of less than about 100.

The olefin high polymers can comprise from about 20 percent by weight to about 99 percent by weight of the olefin high polymer-ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer mixture, although from about 60 percent by weight to about percent by weight olefin high polymer in the mixture is preferred. a

By the term ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer as used in the specification and claims of the present application is meant any ethylene copolymer, terpolymer, or multipolymer containing combined ethylene and combined acrylic acid, or containing combined ethylene, combined acrylic acid, and at least one monoolefinically unsaturated organic ester monomer copolymerizable therewith, particularly the vinyl or acrylic esters, as long as combined ethylene constitutes the major portion by weight of the polytrner. Monoolefinically unsaturated *organic esters which can be combined in the ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymers include vinyl formate, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloroacetate,

vinyl glycol-ate, vinyl cyanoacetate, vinyl propionate,

vinyl butyrate, vinyl isobutyrate, vinyl 3-methoxypropionate, vinyl benzoate, vinyl cyclohexaneacetate, vinyl 2- hexanoate, vinyl nonanoate, vinyl 10,11-epoxyundecanoate, vinyl stearate, ketene dimer, and the like; methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, 2-cyanoethyl acrylate, 2,3-epoxybutyl acrylate,. n-butyl acrylate, t-butyl acrylate, Z-ethoxyethyl acrylate, Z-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 5- ethyl-Z-pyridylethyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, and the like; methyl methacrylate, 2,3-epoxypr0pyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, 2-(o nitrophenoxy) ethyl methacrylate, Z-ethyl hexyl methacrylate, methacrylate ester with polyethylene glycol, and the like; isopropenyl esters such as isopropenyl acetate; allyl esters such as allyl carb-amate, allyl acetate, allyl 2-ethylhexanoate, and cinnamyl acetate; butenoic esters such as the methyl and ethyl esters of 2-hydroxy-3-butenoic acid and the ethyl and allyl esters of 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-3-butenoic acid; maleic acid derivatives such as the dimethyl, diethyl, dipropyl, and dibutyl maleates, and bis(2-ethylhexyl)maleate; esters of maleamic acid; esters of fumaric acid; esters of itaconic acid and aconitic acid; the acetate ester of l-propen-l-ol; the l-diol diacetate of 2-butene-1; and crotonic acid esters such as 2-chlo1'oethyl crotonate, the ethylene glycol monoester of crotonic acid, the lower alkyl crotonates, the ethylene glycol monoester of crotonic acid, the lower alkyl crotonates, 2,3-epoxypropyl crotonate, 2-phenoxyethyl crotonate, 4-hydroxy ethyl crotonate, and 3-cyanoethyl isocrotonate. These examples are merely illustrative of suitable comonomers, however, and are not restrictive of the comonomers which can be employed successfully in the ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer.

The preferred ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymers for use in the invention are ethylene/ acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate and ethylene-acrylic acid/vinyl acetate terpolymers.

Combined acrylic acid can constitute as much as 50 percent by weight of the ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer and as little as about 0.5 percent by weight of the copolymer if there are no other monomers copolymerized therewith. The preferred amount of combined acrylic acid in the copolymer is from about 2.5 percent by weight to about percent by weight.

Monoolefinically unsaturated esters, if present in the ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, can constitute as much as about 40 percent by weight of the copolymer, although the preferred amount of ester is from about 10 percent by weight to about percent by weight of the copolymer.

Useful ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers have a melt index of less than about 1,000, and preferably less than about 100. These copolymers can be prepared by any method known in the art, such as by copolymerizing monomeric ethylene and acrylic acid, together or in combination with a monomer or monomers copolymerizable therewith as described before, in accordance with the process disclosed in US. Patent 2,391,218 to Bacon and Richardson.

The olefin high polymer-ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer mixture can comprise from about 1 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. Preferably, the mixture comprises from about 60 percent by weight to about 95 percent by weight olefin high polymer and from about 5 percent by weight to about percent by weight ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer.

The method in which the olefin polymer-ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer blend is prepared is not particularly critical to the success of the invention. Any conventional method which provides a homogeneous mixture can be employed. One method which has been found to be satisfactory is to flux the mixture and any desired additives in a Banbury mixer for a four to five minute cycle and then to work the material on a two-roll mill before transferring it into the rolls of a calender mill. It is also possible to have the mixing accomplished in a mixing extruder prior to forming the composition.

At the time of the blending or at any other time additives conventional in thermoplastic technology, including, but not limited to, modifiers, opacifiers, fillers, lubricants, stabilizers, colorants, and the like can be added to the compositions of the invention.

The compositions of this invention are useful as adhesives and coatings for wood, plastics, metals, and other substrates. They can also be molded and shaped into bottles and other containers.

The practice of the present invention is illustrated by the following examples wherein all parts and percentages are by weight.

EXAMPLES 1-11 In Examples 1-11, the olefin high polymer to be improved was fluxed on a two-roll mill at 110 C. and the ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer additive milled in immediately after fluxing. The time of working was about five minutes including tenend passesto ensure dispersion of the additive. Control samples were prepared in the same manner except that no ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer was added.

To determine stress crack resistance, a mil compression molded specimen 0.5" x 1.5 was slit along the long dimension. The slit was 20 mils deep and 75 mils long. The specimen was then bent Ten such bent specimens were held in a channel which was then immersed in Hostapal (a non-ionic surfactant believed to be similar to nonyl phenoxy polyoxyethylene ethanol) at 50 C. in a test tube. Two such channel devices were put into each tube, providing twenty specimens per test. Time to failure of any one specimen was the appearance of a crack perpendicular to the slit; P is the time to failure of 50 percent (i.e., ten) of the specimens.

Melt index was measured at C. and 44 psi. in accordance with ASTM D123857T.

Density was determined in accordance with ASTM D-1505-57T.

Grease resistance was determined in accordance with the procedure described in the Joint Army-Navy Specification for barrier materials, JAN-B-12l, Amendment 2, Jan. 22, 1953.

Adhesion to wood, glass and steel was determined by placing a pellet made from a polymer mixture of this invention between two sheets of wood, glass, steel, epoxy or saran substrate, compressing the sheets on a 225 C. hot plate with a 500 gram weight, and then prying the samples apa-rt.

To determine adhesion to an epoxy (the reaction product of an equimolar mixture of the diglycidyl ether of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, and hardener, diethylene triamine), saran (vinylidene chloride copolymer with vinyl chloride and/or minor amount of other olefin monomers) and polyvinyl alcohol/trimethylol phenol (2:1 by weight) copolymer, an unreacted solution of the two epoxy components, a 20 percent by weight saran solution in carbon tetrachloride, and a 1 percent by weight solution of polyvinyl alcohol/trimethylolphenol copolymer in alcohol were brushed onto separate two inch square samples of the polymers of this invention. The samples were baked for one hour at 100 C. After the samples were allowed to cool the Scotch tape test was conducted: pressure sensitive cellophane tape was applied and peeled off. The degree of adhesion is gauged by the amount of the coating which is stripped from the sample by the pressure sensitive tape.

Printability was measured using a pressure sensitive cellophane tape test to determine the strength of the bond between a dried ink layer and a substrate. A strip of the sensitive cellophane tape approximately four inches long was applied to the surface of an ink printed plaque prepared from olefin high polymer-ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer and the tape smoothed under hand pressure. The ink adhesion of the printed sample is then determined by examining the tape for the amount of ink removed when the tape is withdrawn. The following rating system was used.

Ink adhesion rating: Amount of ink removed:

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3.11 so E E E E E E 32.. thylene/Vinyl Acetate/Acrylic Acid 5. 2 1 F 33 ..do 5.2 20 G What is claimed is: 6. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the olefin 1. A composition which exhibits improved adhesivity, polymer is propylene homopolymer. printability, grease resistance, and stress crack resistance 7. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the olefin consisting essentially of an intimate mixture of: polymer is ethylene/ propylene copolymer.

(:1) from about percent by weight to about 99 per- 8. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the olefin cent by weight of a normally solid thermoplastic ole- 20 polymer is ethylene/ ethyl acrylate copolymer.

fin polymer, having a molecular weight of at least 9. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the olefin about 10,000 and a melt index of less than about polymer is ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.

1,000, selected from the group consisting of: 10. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the olefin low density ethylene homopolymer polymer is ethylene/bicycloheptene copolymer.

high density ethylene homopolymer 11. Composition claimed in claim 1 wherein the norpropylene homopolymer mally solid thermoplastic olefin polymer has a melt inethylene/ propylene copolylmer dex of less than about 100, contains at least 90 percent by ethylene/ ethyl acrylate copolymer weight of ethylene copolymerized therein and is present ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer and in an amount of from about 60 to 95 percent by weight and ethylene/bicycloheptene copolymer, and the ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer has a melt index of (b) f b t 1 t 80 percent by i ht of an ethyL less than about 100, contains about 2.5 to 10- percent by ene/ acrylic acid copolymer selected from the gro welght of acrylic acid intcrpolymerized therein and is consisting of ethylene/ acrylic acid/vinyl acetate terp In an amount of from about 5 t0 Percent y polymer and ethylene/ acrylic acid/alkyl acrylate terwel polymer, said ethylene/ acrylic acid copolymer having a melt index of less than about 1,000 and con- References Clted taining from about 0.5 to 50 percent by weight of UNITED STATES PATENTS acryhc 91 copolymeilzed F 2,953,541 9/1960 Pecha et al. 260897 2. Composition clalmed 1n claim 1 wherein the olefin 2,983,704 5/1961 Roedel 260897 polymer is ethylene homopolymer and the ethylene/acrylic 40 1 th 1 l t t t 2,970,129 1/1961 Rugg et a1 260878 actl copo ymer is e y ene acry 1c ac1 vmy ace a e er- 3,132,120 5/1964 Graham et a1. 260L485 1 d 1 1 h th 1 fi 3,201,374 9/1965 Simms 260 837 P0511011 C C W 5 0 e 3,201,498 9/1965 Brunson et al. 260897 polymer is ethylene homopolymer and the ethylene/ a 1 th 1 1k 1 3,127, 34 3/1964 ONelll 2.60-897 acry 10 am copo ymer is e y ene acry 1c am a y 4., 3,248,359 4/1966 Maloney acrylate terpolymer.

4. Composition claimed in claim 3- wherein the ethyl- FO I PATENTS ene/acryl c ac d/alkyl acrylate terpolymer 1s an ethyl- 582,093 11/1946 Great Britain ene/acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate terpolymer.

5. Composition claimed in claim 3 wherein the ethylene/ acrylic acid/alkyl acrylate terpolymer is an ethylene/ acrylic acid/butyl acrylate terpolymer.

MURRAY TILLMAN, Primary Examiner.

C. SECCURO, Assistant Examiner. 

